Fortune Favours the Bold

Chapter Four: Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim.= Be patient and tough; some day this pain will be useful to you.


To the absolute delight of most of the Students, History of Magic, Astronomy, Arithmancy, Divination and naturally Potions were all temporarily suspended for the next week whilst combined classes were to take the remaining subjects.

Dumbledore announced that the work handed in over the year would account for 50 percent of their OWLS and NEWTS. The balance would be gauged from the attendance and diligence that they paid the remaining classes.

Enthusiasm was on an all time high. Hermoine was about the only one who looked even remotely distraught. At least she could dedicate more time to her Potions research.

For Charms, Professor Flitwick taught his classes to enhance the latent essence of flowers and gemstones by way of complementary charms and ‘obtineo’ spells.

Hagrid had become the proud caretaker of a magnificent Thestral, which Harry, Ron and Hermoine admired with open awe.
Yet somehow when it came time to reap the copious amounts of silken web from Aragogs family, the Forbidden Forests Acromantula Clan Harry, Ron and Hermione seemed to be constantly busy, ill or otherwise occupied.

Professor Trelawny brought down her stash of semi precious crystals and gemstones for blessing and charming. Then proceeded to flutter around telling everyone within earshot that the juxtaposition of Mars in direct relation to Pluto and Neptune meant sudden, inexplicable and violent deaths.

Professor Sinistra had brought into the Grand Hall a seemingly inexhaustible supply of arcane charts, which she proceeded to scatter across the Hufflepuff table between meals. Pouring over obscure graphs and charts with Professor Vector.

For Herbology, Professor Sprout took her classes onto Hogwarts snowy grounds. Where rugged up to the nines, they sowed charmed seeds of Pennyroyal, Goats Rue, White Poppies, Common Marigolds and Raspberry to name a few.

Muggle Studies became more hands on with lessons on various craft forms including weaving and woodwork.

Defence Against The Dark Arts took a more practical turn when Magister Nocturnus announced the return of Duelling Classes and actively encouraged 5th years and upward to take Advance Defence Classes.

The Librarian, Madam Pince organised a series of lectures by the respected author Quentin Trimble, plus a book sale and signing of his best seller "The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection".

Hogwarts resident ghosts The Bloody Baron, Sir Nicholas De Mimsy Porpington, The Fat Friar, The Grey Lady, Moaning Myrtle and even Professor Binns were hatching a plan of their own.

Throughout it all Argus Filch and Mrs Norris haunted the halls if possible more industriously than before.

Every one had a purpose and the entire School was abuzz. Only a favoured few were aware of the larger picture, most seemed oblivious that there even was one.

Hermoine of course, had some found information (which for a change was not in Hogwarts a History) and proceeded to try and explain everything to Ron and Harry who would have much preferred to spend every waking moment playing Quidditch.

The moment Ron heard the word ‘Spider’ he went pale and hastily left the room. Hermoine rolled her eyes as Harry chased after him and went back to her reading.

The Legend of the Dreamcatcher

"A spider was quietly spinning his web in his own space. It was beside the sleeping space of Nokomis, the grandmother.
Each day, Nokomis watched the spider at work, quietly spinning away.
One day as she was watching him, her grandson came in. "Nokomis-iya!" he shouted, glancing at the spider.
He stomped over to the spider, picked up a shoe and went to hit it.

"No-keegwa," the old lady whispered, "don't hurt him."
"Nokomis, why do you protect the spider?" asked the little boy.

The old lady smiled, but did not answer.
When the boy left, the spider went to the old woman and thanked her for saving his life.
He said to her, "For many days you have watched me spin and weave my web.
You have admired my work. In return for saving my life, I will give you a gift."

He smiled his special spider smile and moved away, spinning as he went.
Soon the moon glistened on a magical silvery web moving gently in the window.
"See how I spin?" he said. "See and learn, for each web will snare bad dreams.
Only good dreams will go through the small hole. This is my gift to you.

“Use it so that only good dreams will be remembered. The bad dreams will become hopelessly entangled in the web."

Inside of a week Hogwarts had had an invisible over haul. Throughout the grounds were traps, charms and enchanted plants all susceptible to the black arts and vibrations of intense hostility ready to placate and neutralise.

In every window there hung a magic shield looking for the entire world like an innocent although elaborate decoration.
Every window except one.


Chapter References:
The meaning of flowers: See Pears Cyclopaedia 1898 Facsimile of First edition Reprinted 1977.
Pennyroyal (flee away) Goats rue (reason) White poppies (Sleep) Burdock (touch me not)
Marigold, common = (Grief + Despair) Raspberry (Remorse)
Also : http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/5214/flower.html
obtineo = to hold, keep, possess, maintain /to continue.
Dream Catcher history & stories: http://www.soultones.com/dream.html